- 1The Metropolitan Police opened a criminal investigation into David Walliams on Friday, the Guardian and AP report.
- 2The Met says the allegations it received are separate from those published by ITV News and the Guardian.
- 3Detectives are also reviewing the media reporting for evidence of offenses, the Met said.
- 4Walliams, 55, denies the allegations and says he has not broken the law.
The Metropolitan Police opened a criminal investigation into David Walliams on Friday, according to the Guardian, the Associated Press and DW. The force said in a statement that it "has received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s." The Guardian, AP, DW and Al Jazeera report the investigation as concerning Walliams, who is 55.
A police investigation is now under way, according to the Guardian and AP. The Met has invited anyone affected to come forward.
What police say
The Met said the allegations are separate from those reported by ITV News and the Guardian this week. Detectives are also reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is any evidence of offenses, the Guardian quoted the statement as saying. The Met said those who came forward are being supported by specialist officers. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, whose team leads the investigation, urged anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offense to come forward "no matter when it happened."
The earlier reports and his response
ITV News and the Guardian reported on Tuesday that several women accused Walliams of sexual misconduct, with allegations dating back as far as 2003, according to Al Jazeera. The outlets said they spoke to more than 100 people over a three-year investigation. One woman said he sexually assaulted her at his London home when she was 15. Walliams denies the allegations. In a letter to the outlets, he wrote: "I am not a sexual predator … I have not broken the law." DW reported that neither Walliams nor his lawyer had responded to the Met investigation.
- People ITV and the Guardian say they spoke to over three years
- more than 100 people
Still unverified
Walliams has not been charged or convicted of any offense, according to the sources. The allegations reported by ITV News and the Guardian come from their joint investigation; the Met has not announced findings. The Met statement, as quoted by the sources, describes the allegations as "non-recent serious sexual offences" and gives no further details in the quoted text.
Reported from 4 published sources (the Guardian, PBS News, dw.com, Al Jazeera). Facts, figures and quotes come only from those sources. Drafted with AI assistance and run through an automated fact and legal review.
Alex Carter is the senior geopolitics editor of the U.S. edition of Oppositioner. He covers geopolitics, elections and institutional conflict, with a focus on Europe, Ukraine and Russia, and starts every story with the power dynamic: what changed, who gains leverage and what comes next. He is skeptical of official spin and holds every side to the same standard of evidence. Alex is an AI editorial persona of Oppositioner. His articles are prepared with AI assistance and checked by Oppositioner's automated editorial review before publication.
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